Jimmy is a LAPS pig!

1383 grams!

Our friend Jimmy from the Gekke Flappies recently became a LAPS pig. Hurray! Go Jimmy, well done.

Piggyfriends' First Aid Kit

After my last blogpost, I jumped into the cavycopter to interview the Piggyfriends about their first aid kit. After a generous meal (I now have a secret crush on miss Penny, their slave) the Piggyfriends nominated Pandora aka Agent Avatar, to answer my questions as she is spokespig for the herd when they send messages to the GPDD.

Pandora aka Agent Avatar

(Sjeuf) Before we jump into the Piggyfriends' first aid kit, Pandora, can you tell me a bit more about the Piggyfriends?

(Pandora) Well, I need Slave's help with this one. She says that she had the very first Piggyfriends when she was a little girl ( a VERY long time ago ). The first one came from a litter born to the pet shop lady's Peruvian sow, Lima and the second was passed on to her from her spoilt brat cousin's dad, when the girl would not look after him. There were no piggy rescues in those far off days so I guess that he was the first rescued one. When Slave and her family moved here in 1987, she had six of her own plus the Little Visitors that came to live here during the times when her friend was overseas and also her sons' school piggies that boarded every weekend and holidays. There was plenty of room here to rescue more so she did.

Slave never counts us as she says that it reminds her of lost Piggyfriends. I can't count very high but there are between 20 and 30 of us. Slave says that once she had 35. There is always room for one more.

(Sjeuf) what are the most common piggy ailments?

(Pandora) The worst piggy ailments must be skin problems, particularly mites but we are all protected by regular doses of Ivermectin and Panacur to kill mites and other parasites (tip: worming protocol). Sometimes piggies come in with mite infestations and they are very poorly. Fungal issues are also problem in cold, damp climates like ours in England as piggies originally came from the dry climate of South America.

(Sjeuf) What kind of medicine really really ought to be in the case?

(Pandora) Our Slave has a huge amount of piggy medicine in two overflowing boxes. I think that Ivermectin and Panacur are the most important drugs plus an antifungal and antiparasite shampoo. Slave has Vet Sect Repel. She has painkillers and human cold remedies, which suit piggies too. There are decongestants for bunged up noses plus a bottle of Septrin antibiotic - the best one for piggies. There is a bottle of tonic for when we need a pick me up and a human ladies' remedy for cystitis. There are meds for upset tummies and diarrhoea and Daktarin oral gel for sore mouths after dental work. She has eye drops and a cream to help wounds heal faster. She has Osteocare and a cream for mouth sores ( just in case ).

(Sjeuf) Lets talk tools! What do you really need, next to the drugs?

(Pandora) Tools? A good, sharp pair of nail clippers. Slave has a pair for human nails and she also uses these for overgrown incisors. Not for the faint hearted. Also a lot of 1ml. syringes with no needles for giving meds. With the ends cut off, these are for syringe feeding sick piggies too. Plus good sharp scissors for haircuts for our long haired friends. I don't need these. If she did not have the services of our wonderful Rodentologists, she would have a set of dental equipment too. Also there is a box of cotton buds for swabbing the Daktarin around little mouths.

(Sjeuf) Are there other essential items we've not mentioned yet and ought to be in the first aid kit?

(Pandora) Slave considers all of the contents to be essential but she says that you need to know what you are doing before giving meds.

(Sjeuf) So let's say I'm making a deluxe first aid kit, what else would you put into my kit?

(Pandora) Slave wouldn't be without a diuretic for heart conditions. She also recommends that every first aid kit should contain a copy of Peter Gurney's Piggy Potions. She is very keen on herbal remedies.

(Sjeuf) Wow, Pandora, that was really helpfull, thank you so much for having me here!

Dear readers, I hope you have enjoyed this as much as I did and got some ideas out of this. If you have any questions, post them below, I'm sure the Piggyfriends will be reading this and are willing to answer them.


Lots of wheeks!
Sjeuf

p.s. I added all the hyperlinks to the websites for extra information. Do correct me if I got it wrong or pasted a dead link into this post.
p.p.s. as stated in the sidebar, we are not vets and no rights can be claimed from this blogpost. If your guinea pig seems to be unwell, please seek out medical advise from a cavy-savy vet. Pigs can go downhill very fast.

New Years Resolutions

Tell your slaves not to worry about their weight (big butts are the best anyway) and replace their New Years resolutions with these resolutions for my health:

1. Weigh me frequently and keep track of my weight. We are very good at hiding our illnesses and a drop in weight usually is the first sign something is wrong

2. Check my fur every now and then. Are there bald patches? Creepy crawlies? Wet chin?

3. Trim my nails! I know I don't like it, but if you wait too long I'll get corkscrew nails, which can be very painfull.

So, this is our top 3. Which resolutions would you like to add?

Dr. Sjeuff

Vote for your favorite Pigmas piggies

You can vote until Sylvester night (31 december 2011 23:59 CET)

Links to all the Pigmas posts:
Flower
Misfits: Agents Tiny and Addytude
Agents Ghost & Iron Hamster
Piggyfriends: Agents Firenze & Mystery
(uncooperative) Guinygirlz
Agents Butterloaf, Cannonball and New Agent
Cali Cavy Collective (Merry Pigmas)
Cali Cavy collective (More Christmas greetings)
Tasty Pigmas

We wish you a tasty Pigmas

We wish you a tasty Pigmas from the Netherlands! The guiny girlz are staying over at our house, while moms and dad are racing through the Netherlands, visiting grannies, grandads, uncle Rik and friends. Our Pigmas is extra special this year because we have a new boar. His name is Sjeuf, which is a local name from the south of the Netherlands. You can pronounce it like 'shuv', it's short (and dialect) for Joseph. Which is kinda appropriate this time of the year ;-)

Love and Wheeps, Coco and Bo

Coco and Bo enjoying chicory with new addition Sjeuf

A dreamy white Pigmas with Lily, Daisy, Chico and Woopy

nom nom nom

Full bellies, happy piggy faces

Hey mom and dad! *wave*

More Christmas Greetings from the Cali Collective

Merry Pigmas from the Cali Collective

Hello,


Agents Pirate, Magician, Godiva, Acorn and Mango want to wish everybody a very merry Pigmas! Wishing that everypiggy gets heaps of vegetables and cuddles this holiday season.

Merry Pigmas

Merry Pigmas from Agent Butterloaf, Agent Cannonball, and a new Agent that has yet to decide on his super secret agent name (new agent is the red crested piggy)!

Merry Pigmas from the (uncooperative) Guinygirlz

I tried to get some nice Xmas pigtures of my little herd together but they weren't very cooperative...

I did get some nice shots from individual pigs so I'll post those

lil'Woop next to the christmas stable
(I like it because you can burn a candle in it, and it is nice an small)

Daisy in her cutest pose next to the christmas tree

Agent Wheeker

Agent Valentino

lil'Woop peeking out

Lily'explorer peeking over the christmas ornaments...

In the rest of the pigtures they were mostly wrecking the props...
Btw, this is the base of their new cage (will be a 1,22 by 1,22 meter cage :)

Life's hard sometimes for slaves with uncooperative pigs, but I hope you like these single shots!

Slave Mieke

Igor's PLAY - Baskets

*Yawn* .. a very relaxed PLAY-project this time.. gotta love my job..

What is it?
Concept: A nice and cuddly object to lounge in.


Material: Fabric and stuffing. Preferably with a thick edge to put your head on.

Application: Climb in your basket and start relaxing.. Drape your neckflabs (if present) over the edge, eyes in sleeping position…dream away about carrots and Mavis..

Do-it-yourself-factor?: This is actually something you buy in a pet shop. But my favourite basket has been handmade by auntie Guiny's slave. I don’t know how she was able to get it so comfortable. Sowing a basket like that is something for the more advanced sewing slave.

Variations: Yes of course you can lounge extremely well in a basket, but they have more uses. I myself use it as a toilet. I happen to think this is very hygienic of me, since my slave only has to scoop out the poos and the cage stays nice and clean (if only the ladies would understand this.. *sigh*). It is also makes a nice hayrack, this way you can have a snack while studying for a master's degree in Piggin' out..

Target audience?:

First and foremost, it is intended for the lazy cavies among us. Yes okay, you can eat from it (as suggested above).. but I have a feeling our slave hides the hay just about everywhere nowadays. Not that I mind, by the way ;-)

Dangerous?:


No, not really. Even our wrecker Yaya hasn't done anything dangerous with this. It has no sharp edges and we don't eat it. Our slave can leave the basket in the cage without supervision.

User experiences?:

(Yaya): Yes lovely! The only thing missing are MORE baskets. That way Suus or Igor would not need to kick me out when I am lounging comfortably. The baskets are also very comfy for my painful paws (because of my OD ); it's even better with a snuggle safe or a flat hot water bag below it, to keep me and my bones nice and warm.

(Suus): Yes, the basket is also a lot of fun for under the hammock (I call that setup the bunk bed). It feels just a bit safer with a roof over your head and it sure is funny bouncing your cagemates out of the hammock from underneath *evil grin*.


Well dear pigs, that’s it for now. I’m going back to my basket, and continue to study comfortably.


Professor Igor

Igor's PLAY - FoodBall

....in the forward line we see Igor.. front right is Suus doing a give and go with midfield player Yaya and skillfully passes the ball to Igor the terrible.. Igor accepts the ball perfectly .. oooh.. he makes an overhead kick and.. WHEEEEEEEK!!!! IGOR SCORES A CARROTPELLET!!

What is it?

Concept:Playing Foodball is playing with a special ball with yummies inside.
Material: You need a foodball. This is a ball made of plastic with a little sliding window in it. With this little window you can determine the size of the hole. You also need something Yummie that will fit inside. We prefer to use pellets from a different brand than our daily pellets. They are tasty and healthy. There is also special candy for guinea pigs for sale that you can use. Allthough this is a possiblity, these snacks tend to be too salty and unhealthy. Usually you are allowed to have two of them (a day), but this is not very practical when you are foodballing with a whole team. Unfortunately veggies are also not suitable; they stick and can leave bits behind in the foodball that go bad.

Application: Your slave should put something tasty in the ball and then lay it on the floor. Then the game is on!! You push the ball with your nose which will make it start rolling. If you do this right, the pellets ought to fall out of the ball every now and then. I have to say, this is not easy! If there's no pig around to show you how, it can take a while before you understand how to play this game. Luckily, I learned from Suus and Yaya, who in their turn, learned from Auntie Guiny (who else ;-) ).

Do-it-yourself-factor?: Not that high; the ball has to be bought in a pet shop. But it is possible to make one yourself. Your slave has to buy a little plastic bottle in the supermarket and empty it. Then she can cut some holes in it with scissors. Add pellets and there you go! (your slave does have to make sure that we cannot hurt ourselves)
Variations: You can do this as a team or solo. Your slave can also put boxes on the floor so you can manoeuver the ball through.

Target audience?

This is certainly something for the intellectuel cavy. Auntie Guiny was always very good at getting the ball out of small corners when it got stuck. Because there are yummies inside, it is also very suitable for the food oriented guinea pigs. And because you also get some excerise it is also a challenge for the sporty cavies among you.

Dangerous?

No, not really. Although I must insist that supervision of your slave is neccesary, you'll never know what we'll come up with. And besides, it is also very entertaining to watch, especially for daddy slaves.

 
User experiences?

Suus: Really cool game! Although it helps if slaves make sure we do not run out of pellets. It is very challenging to get the pellets out of the ball before your team mates. By the way, I always play for the Netherlands.. I'm already wearing orange socks..
Yaya: When slave introduced the ball again I was the only one who could remember how to play Foodball! Hahhah.. Good huh? ;-)

(Igor): Well guinea pigs that's it for this wheek. I will go grab a carrot beer for the third half. *snigger*.. *stagger*.. Laaalala Blaaaaack pants, Ooorange shirt, thaaaaat is the Winky herd. Holahee dee holala...hooolahee dee hoo laalaalaa...*


Professor Igor


*This is actually the song (in adapted form) that the fans of a soccer club from a small dutch village sing to encourage their team. Our slaves were born in this village and accidentely, Igors furcolors match their gear

Small preview of the Undercover Guinea Pigs Calendar 2012

Today I ordered the first Calendars we are selling.
The profit we make will be donated to a Guinea Pig Shelter.
Here's a small preview of how the standard desk calendar will look:

You can however also order a wall calendar, which is bigger and unfortunately also more expensive (20 euros)! The first 5 orderers will get this version for the low price of the desk calendar (if they want to, of course). The wall calendar looks like this:

You can still order the calendar from us, you can do so by filling in the form that can be found here.

Feel free to order as many as you like, or notify your friends about this calendar!

Kind regards,
Mieke

Merry Pigmas from Agents Firenze and Mystery

"Who is going to sit nicely for some Pigmas pigtures" said Slave." Not Agent Curly or Halloween because you two were in the last set of holiday pigtures".

Then she saw us two. Agent Firenze was having a nap but that did not prevent her from being picked up and surrounded by festive ornaments and having ribbons stuck in her hair. I don't think that she really minded. Well, it is a girly thing isn't it but then it was my turn.





Now, wearing a Santa hat is one thing but having poinsettias in my hair!! Doesn't Slave realise that under all of this coat I am a BOAR!! And then I got the ribbons too. Pigmas. Bah Humbug!

Don't worry - the poinsettias are artificial. Slave knows that real ones are poisonous.







Happy Pigmas everyone from all of the Piggyfriends, including me, Agent Mystery.

Merry Pigmas from Agents Tiny and Addytude

Merry Christmas to all secret agents from Flower!

Sinterklaas with the Guinygirlz and Agent Valentino

Agent Valentino and the girl agreed to pose with the playmobil Sinterklaas. He's sort of the Dutch Santa, who has his birthday in the 6th of December and brings presents to all kids here in the Netherlands.

lily'Explorer: What's this staff thingy, can I eat that?

Valentino: mmm, is this any good?

All of them Hi Sinterklaas, can we have the spare carrots your horse gets from all the kids?

It is custom for kids to put their shoes somewhere for Sinterklaas and his helpers Zwarte pieten (Black Pete's) and to leave a carrot or something for Sint's horse and maybe a drawing for the Sint.

The zwarte pieten will come during the night, and exchange the gifts for pepernoten (cruchy candies/cookies, and maybe a chocolate character or a small gift.

Well we hope you enjoyed our pigtures. We were not really feeling up to being photographed, cause we were way to excited to be in our new cage to try it out, it HUGE!!

Agents Valentino, lily'Explorer, Wheeker and lil'Woop

Vote for the christmas mouse

It's time to vote for Puppy the guinea pig and his friends again for this years Christmas mouse:
http://stores.ebay.com/Puppy-Love-Jewelry/Vote-for-The-2011-Christmas-Mouse

Order your Undercover Guinea Pigs Calendar 2012

You can now order your Undercover Guinea Pigs Calendar 2012!
Just click on the link in the column on the right.

As some large herds gave us permission to use their agents pigtures, we are now able to easily fill the calendar, but if you want your pig to feature be sure to give us permission.

For those who order before the 5th of December a wall calendar can be made instead of the desk calendar. If you order before that date I will ask you about which type you want: the desk or wall version!


I think it will be easiest if you leave a comment to this post stating:
"I, [insert name], give M and Mieke of the Undercover Guinea Pigs blog permission to use the pictures of my Agent(s), [names of your agents] for a Undercover guinea pigs Calendar."

Vote for your favorite Thanksgiving pigture

Happy Thanksgiving Day

On behalf of all the Piggyfriends and their Slave, Agent Curly ( and friend ) would like to wish all of our friends across the ocean a Very Happy Thanksgiving Day.